Story: Subantarctic islands

Hooker's sea-lion pups (1st of 2)

95% of Hooker’s (New Zealand) sea lions breed on isolated beaches on the Auckland Islands. This clip from the 1995 television documentary Islands in the storm shows that the greatest danger for the young pups is the ferocious fighting of bulls, which can weigh up to 400 kilograms. Hooker’s sea lions (Phocarctus hookeri) are endemic to the New Zealand region. Only about 10,000 survived in 2015.

Source: New Zealand Geographic, no. 138, Mar-Apr 2016, p. 94

Using this item

Natural History New Zealand

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page:

Jock Phillips, 'Subantarctic islands - Fauna', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/video/38516/hookers-sea-lion-pups (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Jock Phillips